Colombia
Colombia Earthquake Relief
Program Start: August 2026
All Hands & Hearts mobilized its disaster relief team to Colombia in response to the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia. Our team has been on the ground since the day of the earthquake, coordinating with local authorities and partners, assessing needs, and procuring emergency supplies for search-and-rescue teams in Pereira, including tools, PPE, and other needed items. We will continue to assess and meet needs as more information becomes available, with initial activities focused on supporting first responders and displaced households with emergency relief items. Read details of our response and recent updates below.
Recent Updates
Our Response
From emergency supplies today to long-term recovery support, AH&H is committed to standing with Colombia every step of the way.
On Monday, August 10, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, collapsing buildings across Pereira and Cali and displacing thousands of families. All Hands & Hearts mobilized to Pereira within hours and our team has been on the ground since, working alongside local authorities, first responders, and community volunteers to meet the region’s most urgent needs.
Supporting Search and Rescue
Within hours of arrival, our team met with the Pereira Fire Department to assess priorities and began delivering critical equipment directly to Search & Rescue crews racing to reach people trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Deliveries have included:
- Concrete cutting tools, jackhammers, chainsaws, pickaxes, shovels, and sledgehammers
- High-powered lights, generators, and extension cords for overnight operations
- 200+ pairs of gloves, 200+ N95 masks, and 20+ sets of PPE (helmets, gloves, safety glasses)
- Knee pads, hi-vis vests, torches, batteries, a grinder with cutting discs, tarps, and tape
- Site marking supplies to help teams safely coordinate search operations
Recipients have included the Pereira Fire Department, firefighters, volunteers, Scouts, and the Colombian Army, as well as rescue crews working two collapsed-building sites in Cuarto de Legua, Cali. As rubble-clearing continues, local stores have run low on the tools crews need most, so our team is coordinating directly with volunteers on the ground to keep supply flowing where it is running out.
Caring For Displaced Families
With homes destroyed and many buildings deemed structurally unsafe, families across Pereira have been sheltering outdoors in parks, open spaces, and makeshift camps. Our team has distributed:
- Tents, tarps, mattresses, blankets, sheets, and pillows
- Hygiene kits, including wipes and diapers for children and adults
- Protective PPE masks to guard against dust and toxins in the air
A second wave of displacement is now affecting families whose buildings, though still standing, have been ruled unsafe, a shift our team is actively responding to with continued shelter and hygiene support in Parque la Libertad and surrounding areas.
Ongoing Needs
The response remains active. Our team continues to work through evenings and weekends as needs evolve, from sourcing additional lighting and heavy machinery to expanding emergency shelter support for newly displaced families.
We will continue to share updates as the response develops.